The Worthy House (Charles Haywood)

End of the Road: Inside the War on Truckers (Gord Magill)

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0400

An insightful, and infuriating, analysis of the forced decline of the profession of trucking, and what might be done about it.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2026/03/17/end-of-the-road-inside-the-war-on-truckers-gord-magill/).

We strongly encourage all listeners to bookmark our main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications, or subscribe at Substack. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads.

Other than at the main site, you can follow Charles here:

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https://charleshaywood.substack.com/

Kings in the North: The House of Percy in British History (Alexander Rose)

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:08:55 -0500

A voluminous history of the Percy family, who ruled the North of England for five hundred years.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2026/03/04/kings-in-the-north-the-house-of-percy-in-british-history-alexander-rose/).

The PDF is here: https://theworthyhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TOMWED1.pdf

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Tom Wedderburn’s Life (Theodore Judson)

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:00:42 -0500

The first book from the estimable Theodore Judson, author of Fitzpatrick's War. An evocative study of a simple man's life, lived with honor in the face of adversity. Nearly impossible to find, but below is a link to an (authorized) PDF.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2026/01/30/tom-wedderburns-life-theodore-judson/).

The PDF is here: https://theworthyhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/TOMWED1.pdf

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The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity (Tim Wu)

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 14:27:37 -0500

A cogent, insightful examination of how concentrations of economic power, primarily tech power, erode the stability of our society while enriching an unaccountable parasite class.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2026/01/02/the-age-of-extraction-how-tech-platforms-conquered-the-economy-and-threaten-our-future-prosperity-tim-wu/).

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On Power: The Natural History of Its Growth (Bertrand de Jouvenel)

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 13:13:46 -0500

A classic, but often misunderstood, study of Power. Not a libertarian manifesto, nor any endorsement of so-called classical liberalism. And contrary to myth, not a rejection of the ability of populism to effect regime change. Rather, a total repudiation of democracy, and an endorsement of aristocratic rule governed by natural law.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/12/27/on-power-the-natural-history-of-its-growth-bertrand-de-jouvenel/).

We strongly encourage all listeners to bookmark our main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads.

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The Collapse of Global Liberalism: And the Emergence of the Post Liberal World Order (Philip Pilkington)

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:51:03 -0500

A clinical examination of the death of the Left, of "Enlightenment" liberalism, and of what comes next.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/12/08/the-collapse-of-global-liberalism-and-the-emergence-of-the-post-liberal-world-order-philip-pilkington/).

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Leaving a Legacy: Inheritance, Charity, & Thousand-Year Families (Johann Kurtz)

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:31:10 -0500

Why and how you should leave a legacy to your family and your society, and against false charity and pernicious modern ideas about inheritance.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/11/24/leaving-a-legacy-inheritance-charity-thousand-year-families-johann-kurtz/).

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Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity (Paul Kingsnorth)

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:15:49 -0500

A bold and insightful, but somewhat flawed, exposition of what is wrong with the modern world, and what to do about it.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/11/12/against-the-machine-on-the-unmaking-of-humanity-paul-kingsnorth/).

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In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife (Sebastian Junger)

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:56:19 -0400

An exploration of Near Death Experiences, including his own, from a man who has often explored the many aspects of human nature.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/09/30/in-my-time-of-dying-how-i-came-face-to-face-with-the-idea-of-an-afterlife-sebastian-junger/).

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Cornwallis: Soldier and Statesman in a Revolutionary World (Richard Middleton)

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:46:05 -0400

Of a man often misunderstood by Americans, whose life offers valuable lessons for the coming time of national renewal. Bonus content about insane Indian ethnonarcissism!

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/09/22/cornwallis-soldier-and-statesman-in-a-revolutionary-world-richard-middleton/).

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The Essential Paul Gottfried: Essays from 1984–2024 (Paul Gottfried)

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 15:20:54 -0400

A new collection of crucial writings from the fantastic Paul Gottfried. And of the future of Left and Right.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/08/22/the-essential-paul-gottfried-essays-from-1984-2024-paul-gottfried/).

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On the United Kingdom, and 1989 Eastern Europe as Harbinger

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:41:46 -0400

A complete analysis of the turbulent near future of the regime which, for a short while longer, rules the United Kingdom, through the lens of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/08/18/on-the-united-kingdom-and-1989-eastern-europe-as-harbinger/).

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Stoner (John Williams)

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:38:53 -0400

A semi-famous work of fiction about a failed life, with lessons about how you, too, can be a failure if you don't act like a man.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/07/21/stoner-john-williams/).

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A Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader and the World of English Peasants Before the Plague (Judith M. Bennett)

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:53:16 -0400

A competent brief history of medieval English peasantry, unfortunately distorted and largely ruined by rancid feminist bias.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/06/17/a-medieval-life-cecilia-penifader-and-the-world-of-english-peasants-before-the-plague-judith-m-bennett/).

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Sons of the Waves: The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail (Stephen Taylor)

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:10:22 -0400

An interesting study of the life of seamen in the age of sail, and of why Churchill was partially wrong about "rum, sodomy, and the lash."

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/06/06/sons-of-the-waves-the-common-seaman-in-the-heroic-age-of-sail-stephen-taylor/).

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John Chrysostom on the Roman Empire: A Study on the Political Thought of the Early Church (Constantine Bozinis)

Thu, 22 May 2025 14:16:56 -0400

Of empire, democracy, and mixed government, through the prism of one of the greatest Fathers of the Church.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/05/22/john-chrysostom-on-the-roman-empire-a-study-on-the-political-thought-of-the-early-church-constantine-bozinis/).

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Russia Enters the Railway Age, 1842–1855 (Richard Mowbray Haywood)

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:25:46 -0400

An exhaustive study of the construction of the St. Petersburg-Moscow Railway, written by my father.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/04/11/russia-enters-the-railway-age-1842-1855-richard-mowbray-haywood/).

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Revolver: Sam Colt and the Six-Shooter That Changed America (Jim Rasenberger)

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:06:34 -0400

Of Sam Colt, who made all men equal, yet found little happiness, it seems, in doing so.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/03/31/revolver-sam-colt-and-the-six-shooter-that-changed-america-jim-rasenberger/).

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The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin (Jonathan Phillips)

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:26:08 -0400

A competent history of the Kurdish warlord Saladin, and his battles against Christians in the Holy Land. And of modern distorted and false views of his works.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/03/11/the-life-and-legend-of-the-sultan-saladin-jonathan-phillips/).

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The True and Only Heaven: Progress and Its Critics (Christopher Lasch)

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:36:51 -0500

Christopher Lasch's famous exposition of the false claims of progress, and of what the alternatives are to an unthinking slavish devotion to "progress." A book that was before its time in 1991, but the moment of which may have come.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/03/04/the-true-and-only-heaven-progress-and-its-critics-christopher-lasch/).

We strongly encourage, in these days of censorship and deplatforming, all readers to bookmark our main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads.

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The Ancient City (Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges)

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:58:32 -0500

A classic work about religion, law, and governance in pre-history, and how those structures formed the Greece and Rome we know.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/02/18/the-ancient-city-numa-denis-fustel-de-coulanges/).

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Against Gross Domestic Product

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:17:06 -0500

Why the golden calf of Gross Domestic Product should be rejected as a measure of America's flourishing.

The written version of this review was first published in The American Mind, and can be found here (https://americanmind.org/salvo/golden-calf-of-the-grand-old-party/)

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Oliver Cromwell: Commander in Chief (Ronald Hutton)

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:41:38 -0500

The second volume in Ronald Hutton's trilogy biography of Oliver Cromwell. And of how England could sure use a new Cromwell as of this moment.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/02/03/oliver-cromwell-commander-in-chief-ronald-hutton/).

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The Leviathan in the State Theory of Thomas Hobbes: Meaning and Failure of a Political Symbol (Carl Schmitt)

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:20:41 -0500

Of the life and death of the Leviathan state of Thomas Hobbes, and much else besides, as always with Carl Schmitt, including how the end of that state led to the administrative/managerial state and the triumph of destructive, soulless technique.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/01/29/the-leviathan-in-the-state-theory-of-thomas-hobbes-meaning-and-failure-of-a-political-symbol-carl-schmitt/).

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The Martian General's Daughter (Theodore Judson)

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:27:31 -0500

Of empires and their fall, and whether America can or should remain an empire, or become just a nation again.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2025/01/21/the-martian-generals-daughter-theodore-judson/)

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A Brutal Reckoning: Andrew Jackson, the Creek Indians, and the Epic War for the American South (Peter Cozzens)

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 14:24:34 -0500

Of the Red Stick War of 1813, and of the American Indian, past and future.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/12/28/a-brutal-reckoning-andrew-jackson-the-creek-indians-and-the-epic-war-for-the-american-south-peter-cozzens/)

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On Private Justice

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:04:23 -0500

A complete analysis of private justice, both in the abstract and in the circumstances in which Americans today find ourselves.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/12/16/on-private-justice/)

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Holy Rus': The Rebirth of Orthodoxy in the New Russia (John P. Burgess)

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:46:35 -0500

An examination of Russian Orthodoxy in modern Russia, and of what that implies for the future of Russia.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/12/03/holy-rus-the-rebirth-of-orthodoxy-in-the-new-russia-john-p-burgess/)

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On the 1956 Hungarian Revolution

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 18:09:19 -0500

A detailed analysis of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the only armed revolt against Soviet Communism, and one nearly successful, as well as both wholly-spontaneous and unplanned. And, no surprise, of what lessons can be found in it for us in 2024 America.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/11/19/on-the-1956-hungarian-revolution/)

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On the Left as Scorpion: Election and Post-Election Predictions

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:43:37 -0500

A complete predictive analysis of the coming days and months. This was written in June, but only published now, and has held up 100% so far!

The written version of this review can be found at Man's World magazine, here (https://mansworldmag.online/on-the-left-as-scorpion/). You should check out Man's World, in whose pages I have appeared several times, if you have not already done so. It is highly worthwhile.

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To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism (Sean McMeekin)

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:07:38 -0400

The latest book by the excellent Sean McMeekin--a survey of Communist theory and thought, with surprising-to-some conclusions about the rebirth of Communism in the present day.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/10/03/to-overthrow-the-world-the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-communism-sean-mcmeekin/)

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Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence (Bryan Burrough)

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 14:25:13 -0400

A unique history of an episode that has been deliberately memory-holed: the massive Left violence in the 1970s, directed at catalyzing a revolution in America. And, as always, what that history means for today.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/09/04/days-of-rage-americas-radical-underground-the-fbi-and-the-forgotten-age-of-revolutionary-violence-bryan-burrough/)

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The Habsburg Way: Seven Rules for Turbulent Times (Eduard Habsburg)

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:40:09 -0400

From a scion of Europe's most famous family, rules for life in the present, and in the future.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/08/14/the-habsburg-way-seven-rules-for-turbulent-times-eduard-habsburg/)

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On Cancellation and the Use of Power

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 12:45:51 -0400

The definitive analysis of whether the Right should engage in "cancellation" of our enemies. You're welcome.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/07/30/on-cancellation-and-the-use-of-power/)

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The Total State: How Liberal Democracies Become Tyrannies (Auron MacIntyre)

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 12:36:18 -0400

How and why we came to live under a suffocating tyranny, and what can be done about it.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/07/17/the-total-state-how-liberal-democracies-become-tyrannies-auron-macintyre/)

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Life, on the Line: A Chef’s Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat (Grant Achatz)

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 11:04:11 -0400

Of entrepreneurship, and great men, and achievement.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/06/25/life-on-the-line-a-chefs-story-of-chasing-greatness-facing-death-and-redefining-the-way-we-eat-grant-achatz/)

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Against Nostalgia

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:06:58 -0400

Why political nostalgia is destructive, and the attitudes we should foster instead.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/06/19/against-nostalgia/)

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Fascism: The Career of a Concept (Paul Gottfried)

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:21:46 -0400

A book of history which implicates the future, in particular fueling thoughts of what a revolutionary Right in America might look like.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/06/12/fascism-the-career-of-a-concept-paul-gottfried/)

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The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart (Jeremy Carl)

Thu, 16 May 2024 17:35:57 -0400

A book whose time has come. How white people in America, persecuted for decades, began to realize they must act as a group to protect and advance their interests, just as every other group already does in America. And how to encourage and manage this process.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/05/16/the-unprotected-class-how-anti-white-racism-is-tearing-america-apart-jeremy-carl/)

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Prince Henry the Navigator: A Life (Peter Russell)

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:38:51 -0400

Of the prince (never king) who, with his iron will and fierce determination, singlehandedly began the Age of Exploration, in which Europe conquered the globe, and thereby created the modern world. And of what his life says for the renewal of our own time.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/04/22/prince-henry-the-navigator-a-life-peter-russell/)

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King of Dogs (Andrew Edwards)

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 12:59:49 -0400

A introspective novel about near-future America, more pessimistic than I am, yet not unrealistic.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/04/05/king-of-dogs-andrew-edwards/)

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July 1914: Countdown to War (Sean McMeekin)

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:07:54 -0400

Of a time of constant crisis and nothing appearing to actually happen—not 2024, but 1914. And of how "nothing ever happens" turned to "everything is different now."

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/03/26/july-1914-countdown-to-war-sean-mcmeekin/)

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The Camp of the Saints (Jean Raspail)

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:03:16 -0500

Today we discuss a book that, fifty years ago, predicted with great precision the current predicament of the West, swamped by invaders as its own will evanesces. And in this light, we discuss racial harmony and Christian duty.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/03/05/the-camp-of-the-saints-jean-raspail/)

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Elon Musk (Walter Isaacson)

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:34:47 -0500

In which I predict, against the haters and naysayers, that Elon Musk is an excellent, and in fact the leading, candidate for America's Man of Destiny. And also of entrepreneurship and getting rich.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/02/26/elon-musk-walter-isaacson/)

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Life in the Negative World: Confronting Challenges in an Anti-Christian Culture (Aaron M. Renn)

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 09:50:13 -0500

A compelling analysis of the cultural position of Christians today, in the past, and in the future. And of why winning must be part of the Christian tomorrow.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/02/16/life-in-the-negative-world-confronting-challenges-in-an-anti-christian-culture-aaron-m-renn/)

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The Gravediggers: The Last Winter of the Weimar Republic (Rüdiger Barth and Hauke Friederichs)

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 10:24:17 -0500

A day-by-day account of the final days of the Weimar Republic, a period poorly understood by modern Americans, with lessons for us—but not the lessons most think.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/02/05/the-gravediggers-the-last-winter-of-the-weimar-republic-rudiger-barth-and-hauke-friederichs/)

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Conservatism: A Rediscovery (Yoram Hazony)

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 15:35:50 -0500

An excellent work from Yoram Hazony, which clearly distinguishes what is Right from what is Left—and correctly concludes that much of what is called "conservatism" is merely poorly-disguised leftism, as is so-called classical liberalism.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/01/28/conservatism-a-rediscovery-yoram-hazony/)

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The Burning of the World: A Memoir of 1914 (Béla Zombory-Moldován)

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 09:55:04 -0500

From another time, but with lessons for our own, the experience of a young Hungarian in war. And of why Americans should reject any future attempt to conscript us.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/01/18/the-burning-of-the-world-a-memoir-of-1914-bela-zombory-moldovan/)

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On Social Justice (Saint Basil the Great)

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 13:01:24 -0500

Saint Basil on the story of Christ and the Rich Young Man. And of why expelling migrants from our country fulfils Christ's command to love our neighbor.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2024/01/11/on-social-justice-saint-basil-the-great/)

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Tucker (Chadwick Moore)

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 13:12:46 -0500

The story, so far, of Tucker Carlson, and my thoughts about why he does what he does.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/12/29/tucker-chadwick-moore/)

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Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970–2000 (Stephen Kotkin)

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 15:49:45 -0500

The history of the collapse of the Soviet Communist regime, and the lessons to found therein.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/12/13/armageddon-averted-the-soviet-collapse-1970-2000-stephen-kotkin/)

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Christian Orthodox Political Philosophy: A Theological Approach (Pavlos M. Kyprianou)

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 10:07:02 -0500

Through the eyes of a lawyer-monk, somewhat incomplete thoughts on nationalism, Christianity, and similar matters.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/12/06/christian-orthodox-political-philosophy-a-theological-approach-pavlos-m-kyprianou/)

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Dr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braun (Bob Ward)

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:40:18 -0500

The life of a nearly-forgotten genius. And of our future in Space, and Elon Musk's role in both that and the breaking of the Regime.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/11/30/dr-space-the-life-of-wernher-von-braun-bob-ward/)

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Leviathan Wakes (James S. A. Corey)

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:06:10 -0500

From 2017, thoughts about Manifest Destiny and what real-world space colonization would look like.

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2017/11/03/book-review-leviathan-wakesjames-s-a-corey/

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Icarus Fallen: The Search for Meaning in an Uncertain World (Chantal Delsol)

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 09:04:03 -0500

An insightful and prophetic, yet very flawed, book.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/11/05/icarus-fallen-the-search-for-meaning-in-an-uncertain-world-chantal-delsol/)

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“The China Convergence” (N. S. Lyons)

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 07:11:33 -0400

Thoughts on the similarity, and dissimilarity, of managerial regimes in today's America and today's China, through the prism of the excellent N. S. Lyons.

The written version of this review, first published in The American Conservative, can be found here or here.

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The Anglo-Saxons: The Making of England: 410–1066 (Marc Morris)

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:45:24 -0400

Of the Anglo-Saxons, who not long ago ruled the world. They are now brought low, but we can learn from what, once upon a time, made them great.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/10/10/the-anglo-saxons-the-making-of-england-410-1066-marc-morris/)

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On The Principle “No Enemies on the Right”

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 10:19:29 -0400

Wherein I offer a complete exposition and synthesis of the key principle "No Enemies on the Right." I answer all objections and discuss practical application.

The written version of this review can be found here. https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/10/02/on-the-principle-no-enemies-on-the-right/

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On Marriage

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 16:55:36 -0400

On marriage—for men, and also published this week in Raw Egg Nationalist's Man's World. A special episode, done jointly with my wife.

The written version of this review can be found here. https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/09/26/on-marriage/

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The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History (Tonio Andrade)

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:59:44 -0400

From 2017, before China pulled far ahead of the self-crippling United States, my thoughts on earlier competition between China and the West.

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2017/11/09/book-review-the-gunpowder-age-china-military-innovation-and-the-rise-of-the-west-in-world-history-tonio-andrade/

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Domestic Extremist: A Practical Guide to Winning the Culture War (Peachy Keenan)

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 11:17:39 -0400

Peachy Keenan's happy warrior broadside against feminism, and all its works and empty promises.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/09/13/domestic-extremist-a-practical-guide-to-winning-the-culture-war-peachy-keenan/)

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Throw-Back Thursday: Making Dystopia: The Strange Rise and Survival of Architectural Barbarism (James Stevens Curl)

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 08:24:18 -0400

Throw-Back Thursday: Of architectural modernism, and why it is terrible, and of why Foundationalism demands a culture of high architecture. James Stevens Curl's Making Dystopia. [This article was first published August 27, 2019.]

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2019/08/27/making-dystopia-the-strange-rise-and-survival-of-architectural-barbarism-james-stevens-curl/)

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On Manual Work for Men

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 14:43:42 -0400

Why manual work for boys and men is essential; how to accomplish this in the modern world; and of the essential differences between masculine and feminine.

The written version of this review can be found here. https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/08/30/on-manual-work-for-men-2/

This article was published last year in the journal Man's World. This popular journal is edited by the pseudonymous Raw Egg Nationalist (who can be found here on Twitter). A flipbook version can be found here. It is reprinted here for those who may have missed it, and I am also including, for the first time for this piece, audio and video versions.

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The Sunlilies: Eastern Orthodoxy As a Radical Counterculture (Graham Pardun)

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 09:02:27 -0400

Today no politics; rather a meditation on prayer and worship, through the lens of the natural world.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/08/16/the-sunlilies-eastern-orthodoxy-as-a-radical-counterculture-graham-pardun/)

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The Fortress: The Siege of Przemysl and the Making of Europe’s Bloodlands (Alexander Watson)

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:20:25 -0400

A fascinating history of events a hundred years ago, which echo today in the Russo-Ukraine War.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/07/31/the-fortress-the-siege-of-przemysl-and-the-making-of-europes-bloodlands-alexander-watson/)

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America’s Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything (Christopher Rufo)

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 06:51:56 -0400

A crucial work for a crucial time—Christopher Rufo's "America’s Cultural Revolution," which traces the rise total dominance of the Left. Knowledge is power, and this book offers it to both the (aborning) elites and to the masses. This is the audio narration version of my review published in the journal IM-1776," published in the journal IM-1776.

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The Glass Bees (Ernst Jünger)

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 09:10:06 -0400

A prescient work by a man whose work has never lost relevance. Of technology, and alienation, and the choices we face.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/07/10/the-glass-bees-ernst-junger/)

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Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future (Patrick Deneen)

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 10:57:55 -0400

The capstone work by Patrick Deneen, postliberal prophet. But it is, sadly, disappointing.

The written version of this review can be found here (https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/06/22/regime-change-toward-a-postliberal-future-patrick-deneen/)

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Legality and Legitimacy (Carl Schmitt)

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:04:53 -0400

Yet another work by the peerless Carl Schmitt, as usual with direct application to our situation today.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor (Clinton Romesha)

Wed, 10 May 2023 09:50:23 -0400

From 2017, written before we were defeated in Afghanistan, my then-current thoughts on Afghanistan, through the lens of a dubiously-reliable war memoir.

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2017/12/07/book-review-red-platoon-a-true-story-of-american-valor-clinton-romesha/

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Red Rising (Pierce Brown)

Thu, 04 May 2023 10:37:39 -0400

Thoughts on Space Rome, and also an expansion of my analysis of our own conquest of Space.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium (Martin Gurri)

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 09:42:46 -0400

How narrative control enables the Regime to rule us, and what can be done about it.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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Feminism Against Progress (Mary Harrington)

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 08:52:15 -0400

My thoughts on a very important new book, a jeremiad against the destruction wrought by so-called feminism. This is the audio narration version of my review of Mary Harrington's "Feminism Against Progress," published in the journal IM-1776.

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Rhodesian S.A.S. Combat Manual

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:22:46 -0400

Not so much of Rhodesia, but about future possibilities of violence, and of the potential rise of armed patronage networks as a societal organizing device.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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The Holy Fire: The Story of the Fathers of the Eastern Church (Robert Payne)

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 10:52:49 -0400

For Lent, a turn from politics toward the history and theology of ten men who formed Christianity.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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Discourses on Livy (Niccolò Machiavelli)

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 16:50:03 -0400

Among other things, how to execute a conspiracy to overthrow a regime, from five hundred years ago. (This article was first published December 10, 2017.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2017/12/10/book-review-discourses-on-livyniccolo-machiavelli/

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Crossing the Rubicon: Caesar’s Decision and the Fate of Rome (Lucca Fezzi)

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 09:27:00 -0500

A detailed political history of the events surrounding the end of the Roman Republic.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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Mormon Country (Wallace Stegner)

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 11:32:28 -0500

A 1930s travelogue that is interesting both for its history and for its applications to the present moment. (This article was first published December 19, 2017.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2017/12/19/book-review-mormon-countrywallace-stegner/

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On Entrepreneurial Success

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 10:29:44 -0500

My complete lessons on how to become rich through entrepreneurship. You're welcome.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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Der Fragebogen (The Questionnaire) (Ernst Von Salomon)

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 10:02:51 -0500

Of the views of German patriots in 1930s and 1940s Germany, through the prism of a once-famous book, and of what Allied "denazification" can teach us for future reference in the new world to come.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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Charles Haywood on Tucker Carlson Today (Full Version; From 9/2022)

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 07:29:17 -0500

Charles Haywood appears on Tucker Carlson Today. This is complete audio from the video appearance, from last September. We talk about a great deal, from Foundationalism to farming, and whether I am related to the Communist Big Bill Haywood.

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The Making of Oliver Cromwell (Ronald Hutton)

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 09:18:25 -0500

The early life of Oliver Cromwell, and his rise to prominence during the English Civil War—of a man both godly and wily, and the type of man who rises from obscurity in the hour of need.

A written version of this review can be found here. This review first appeared in Chronicles magazine, which you should read, and to which you should subscribe.

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For the Freedom of Zion: The Great Revolt of Jews against Romans, A.D. 66–74 (Guy MacLean Rogers)

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 13:10:04 -0500

A discussion of the deeds of the ancient Jews, in the context of their wars with the Romans, and of Jews today, in Israel and here.

The written version of this review can be found here.

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Edwin Arlington Robinson: A Poet’s Life (Scott Donaldson)

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:12:10 -0500

The life of man who was once America's most famous poet, and of his work. (This article was first published October 17, 2017.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/12/29/book-review-trotsky-a-biography-robert-service/

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On Wealth and Poverty (Saint John Chrysostom)

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 11:16:25 -0500

Ancient, yet precisely contemporary, thoughts and advice on the proper approach to both being rich and being poor.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Age of Paradise: Christendom from Pentecost to the First Millennium (John Strickland)

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 10:09:43 -0500

Thoughts on how, not whether, Christianity and the state should be intertwined, combined with history that largely revolves around the same.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Trotsky: A Biography (Robert Service)

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:27:07 -0500

Of the evil genius of Russian Communism, of the utopianism that drives the Left, and of how the search for transcendence is the driver of most modern political action. (This article was first published December 29, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/12/29/book-review-trotsky-a-biography-robert-service/

The Eggs Benedict Option (Raw Egg Nationalist)

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 10:25:55 -0500

An exhortation to change our ways, in particular how we eat, both for our own health benefit and for our freedom from oppression.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America (Oren Cass)

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 10:10:28 -0500

An exploration of how society should be organized to reward, rather than punish, the productive, rather than parasitical, members of society, and of why GDP is a stupid way to measure both wealth and social health. Not that any of Oren Cass's excellent recommendations will be implemented until the present dispensation is utterly destroyed. (This article was first published December 24, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/12/24/book-review-the-once-and-future-worker-a-vision-for-the-renewal-of-work-in-america-oren-cass/

On the Fragility of the Current Regime

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 16:02:02 -0400

My complete, and I do mean complete, analysis of the fragility of the current Regime, including responses to all possible arguments by those who incorrectly claim the Regime is strong.

The written version of this article can be found here.

The Concept of the Political (Carl Schmitt)

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:20:00 -0400

Carl Schmitt's most famous book—with discussion of the friend/enemy distinction, as applied to America today, along with discussion of Christian duties with respect to the public enemy, hostis, which do not include either love or staying one's hand.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Breakfast with the Dirt Cult (Samuel Finlay)

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 10:08:11 -0400

A modern classic, of war and relations between the sexes, with a great deal to say about the present American moment.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Before Church and State: A Study of Social Order in the Sacramental Kingdom of St. Louis IX (Andrew Willard Jones)

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 08:35:14 -0400

In which I (mostly) criticize integralism, and in which, when this article was first published four years ago, the outlines of Foundationalism are becoming apparent. (This article was first published December 22, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/12/22/book-review-before-church-and-state-a-study-of-social-order-in-the-sacramental-kingdom-of-st-louis-ix-andrew-willard-jones

The Populist Delusion (Neema Parvini)

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 09:08:34 -0400

Thoughts on elite theory, through an update of James Burnham's "The Machiavellians." And most importantly, of whether overthrow of our current regime depends on the prior development of a counter-elite (sneak peek—it does not).

The written version of this review can be found here.

What to Do When Caesar Comes

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 08:52:11 -0400

Well, the title explains what it's about, doesn't it?

The written version of this article can be found here.

My Advice to the Young

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 13:54:01 -0400

By popular demand, my complete thoughts on what a young person should do, and how he should act, at this moment.

The written version of this article can be found here.

Gun Control in Nazi-Occupied France: Tyranny and Resistance (Stephen P. Halbrook)

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 09:32:52 -0400

An academic study of something with great relevance for today—the seizure of necessary weapons by a tyrannical occupying state. (This article was first published November 21, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/11/21/book-review-gun-control-in-nazi-occupied-france-tyranny-and-resistance-stephen-p-halbrook/

Throw-Back Thursday: The Accursed Tower: The Fall of Acre and the End of the Crusades (Roger Crowley)

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 16:28:34 -0400

Straight history today, not politics, in the form of Christian (and Muslim) heroism at the final end of the Crusades. This was originally published on January 24, 2020.

The written version of this article can be found here.

Dark Age America: Climate Change, Cultural Collapse, and the Hard Future Ahead (John Michael Greer)

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 11:38:58 -0400

An analysis of our likely future, by the excellent John Michael Greer. And a discussion of whether I am likely to become a warlord.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann (Ananyo Bhattacharya)

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 10:48:18 -0400

A disappointing book about a fascinating man, and also of much else, including Jewish success, the bogus exaltation of "marginalized voices," the fantasies of "Hidden Figures," and Alan Turing.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Why Chimpanzees Can’t Learn Language and Only Humans Can (Herbert S. Terrace)

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 09:16:01 -0400

A corrective to the mushy thinking often offered about animal capabilities.

The written version of this review can be found here.

First Do No Harm (Paracelsus)

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 09:51:47 -0400

Of corruption and oligarchy in the medical profession. This is the audio narration version of my review of the pseudonymous Paracelsus's "First Do No Harm," published in the outstanding journal IM-1776.

The Children of Men (P. D. James)

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 09:04:44 -0400

Through the lens of a classic novel, I analyze the bodily destructions visited on each of us today, and what we can do about it.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Throw-Back Thursday: Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life (Daymond John

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 17:49:53 -0400

In which I tell you how I got rich, and how you (maybe) can too. This was originally published on April 30, 2019.

The written version of this article can be found here.

Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic (Ben Westhoff)

Sat, 02 Jul 2022 08:44:56 -0400

How the Chinese and the Mexicans are deliberately killing Americans; not that this book will come out and admit it. And of what should be done about it.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Religion of the Apostles: Orthodox Christianity in the First Century (Stephen De Young)

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 08:01:58 -0400

A deep dive into first-century Christianity, its close relationship to Second Temple Judaism, and myths that give us an inaccurate picture of early Christian doctrine and worship.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Throw-Back Thursday: On the January 2021 Electoral Justice Protest

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:23:15 -0400

Today's throwback is done in response to the stupid clown show now being put on in Congress by the regime, wasting their and our time trying to tarnish the heroes of the Electoral Justice Protest. This was originally published on March 23, 2021.

The written version of this article can be found here.

Stubborn Attachments: A Vision for a Society of Free, Prosperous, and Responsible Individuals (Tyler Cowen)

Tue, 31 May 2022 08:30:14 -0400

The blogger Tyler Cowen, in his book "Stubborn Attachments," exemplifies a miserably inadequate, and failed, line of thought about future human flourishing. (This article was first published December 7, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/12/07/stubborn-attachments-a-vision-for-a-society-of-free-prosperous-and-responsible-individuals-tyler-cowen/

Throw-Back Thursday: The Power of the Powerless (Václav Havel)

Thu, 26 May 2022 09:02:50 -0400

[Since I wrote this, in 2018, our slide toward totalitarianism has not only accelerated, but become worse than that which Havel faced. Perhaps, though, as Lenin said, the worse, the better.]

Václav Havel's famous essay, born of a specific time and place, resonates decades later in our own proto-totalitarian society. What should be done? Havel tells us.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Roman Catholicism and Political Form (Carl Schmitt)

Wed, 18 May 2022 08:59:15 -0400

Carl Schmitt's thoughts on the Roman Catholic Church, or rather that Church as it was a hundred years ago, and European political organization. History took a different turn, but as always, Schmitt has worthwhile things to say.

The written version of this review can be found here.

A Gallop in Ethiopia: Wax, Gold & the Abyssinian Pony (Yves-Marie Stranger)

Sun, 08 May 2022 12:04:18 -0400

Of Ethiopia—mostly of modern Ethiopia, a fascinating country. But what role is it likely to play in the future?

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Managerial Revolution: What is Happening in the World (James Burnham)

Sun, 01 May 2022 15:05:38 -0400

The good, the bad, and the ugly about James Burnham's famous 1941 book.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Against the Modern World: Traditionalism and the Secret Intellectual History of the Twentieth Century (Mark Sedgwick)

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 08:36:19 -0400

An analysis of Traditionalism, the set of beliefs offered by thinkers (from René Guénon to Julius Evola) who attempted to retrieve supposed ancient wisdom and apply it to the modern world. (This article was first published November 30, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/11/30/book-review-against-the-modern-world-traditionalism-and-the-secret-intellectual-history-of-the-twentieth-century-mark-sedgwick-dup/

Fitzpatrick’s War (Theodore Judson)

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 09:06:35 -0400

Through the lens of a prophetic work of fiction, continuing the question of whether civilizational decline can be arrested and reversed, and thinking about the moral implications of actions related to that endeavor.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Third Annual Collection (Gardner Dozois ed.)

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 10:39:43 -0400

A review that in effect passes judgment on all modern science fiction, with a slightly different tack from my usual. (This article was first published August 23, 2016.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2016/08/23/book-review-the-years-best-science-fiction-thirty-third-annual-collection-gardner-dozois-ed/

The Fate of Empires (John Bagot Glubb)

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 12:56:13 -0400

A famous, but at best incomplete, analysis of the course of empires--with an emphasis on describing the end stages of empires.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Three New Deals: Reflections on Roosevelt’s America, Mussolini’s Italy, and Hitler’s Germany, 1933-1939 (Wolfgang Schivelbusch)

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:49:52 -0400

It was as a result of this discussion, of Three New Deals, that my program came to be called Foundationalism. And here, learning from movements of the past, I offer thoughts about how Foundationalism can be brought to pass (although I would be less negative about small-scale farming now; this article was first published November 26, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/11/26/book-review-three-new-deals-reflections-on-roosevelts-america-mussolinis-italy-and-hitlers-germany-1933-1939-wolfgang-schivelbusch/

On the Marble Cliffs (Ernst Jünger)

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 08:12:21 -0500

The third book in Jünger's (unrecognized) trilogy about tyranny—not in the abstract, but how to live in relation to, and what to do about, tyranny. Any relationship to current events in the West is pure coincidence, of course.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Throw Back Thursday: I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon (Crystal Zevon)

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 09:06:11 -0500

Something new: Throw Back Thursday, in which I showcase older articles that newer readers may have missed. This is, for once, not political. Rather, it is an oral history of the ultra-talented Warren Zevon, warts and all.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Against Counsels of Defeat

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 08:58:54 -0500

My antidote to pessimism in the face of the Left. Not only can we win, we are going to win, and that right soon—if we have the will.

The written version of this article can be found here.

Uncivil Society: 1989 and the Implosion of the Communist Establishment (Stephen Kotkin)

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 08:42:53 -0500

Of the looming collapse of our own American (and Canadian) regimes, through the lens of the 1989 collapse of similar regimes in Eastern Europe. With plenty of my thoughts on how to avoid the errors made after those earlier regimes were eliminated, which errors allowed members of the former regimes to keep much of their power and privileges. Let's not do that again.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Enemy: An Intellectual Portrait of Carl Schmitt (Gopal Balakrishnan)

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 13:33:35 -0500

Before I began working my way individually through all of Carl Schmitt's important works, I read this excellent book, which provides a fine overview of Schmitt's thought and relevance. And that relevance to today is growing by the hour. (This article was first published November 12, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/11/12/book-review-the-enemy-an-intellectual-portrait-of-carl-schmitt-gopal-balakrishnan/

God Is a Man of War: The Problem of Violence in the Old Testament (Stephen De Young)

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 09:44:52 -0500

An exposition and explanation of why God sometimes commands violence, and of why the Old and New Testaments are not in tension or contradiction. With my own thoughts on justice, in particular the appalling concept of "social justice."

The written version of this review can be found here.

Anabasis; Or, The March Up-Country (Xenophon)

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 11:19:01 -0500

The classic story, from 2,500 years ago, of how determination and vitalism led to success for men in a desperate situation. With lessons, no surprise, for today.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland (Christopher R. Browning)

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 09:02:48 -0500

In these strange days of violent medical apartheid and state-organized hatred directed at those who will not comply with criminally insane dictates, Christopher Browning's classic work on how ordinary men end up participating in mass killing has taken on fresh relevance. Forewarned is forearmed; make ready. (This article was first published November 2, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/11/02/ordinary-men-reserve-police-battalion-101-and-the-final-solution-in-poland-christopher-r-browning/

Young Men and Fire (Norman Maclean)

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 09:55:02 -0500

An exploration of man and nature, with emphasis on the former, and of life and death.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution (Tucker Carlson)

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 08:28:16 -0500

Tucker Carlson's indictment of our ruling classes in 2018. Things have gotten much worse since, and all the palatable solutions have long fled the building. (This article was first published October 28, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/10/28/book-review-ship-of-fools-how-a-selfish-ruling-class-is-bringing-america-to-the-brink-of-revolution-tucker-carlson/

Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else (Chrystia Freeland)

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 08:45:45 -0500

An interesting, if flawed, analysis of rich people, which I found particularly interesting because I am rich myself, and much richer than I was when I wrote this! (This article was first published October 30, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/10/30/book-review-plutocrats-the-rise-of-the-new-global-super-rich-and-the-fall-of-everyone-else-chrystia-freeland/

Political Theology: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty (Carl Schmitt)

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:27:18 -0500

Another famous and insightful work from Carl Schmitt, on how sovereignty should be viewed in real life. And a discussion of sovereignty and the rule of law in 2022 America.

The written version of this review can be found here.

A World after Liberalism: Philosophers of the Radical Right (Matthew Rose)

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:26:42 -0500

This is the audio narration version of my review of Matthew Rose's "A World After Liberalism," published in the outstanding journal IM-1776.

America Moved: Booth Tarkington’s Memoirs of Time and Place, 1869–1928 (Jeremy Beer)

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 09:38:06 -0500

A forgotten, but once-famous, author's autobiographical writings about turn-of-the-twentieth century Indiana and America. And of why nostalgia is pointless and destructive for today's Right.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Human, Forever (James Poulos)

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 10:01:22 -0500

A discussion of a crucial new work on our digital age and our digital future, and of how our humanity can survive and flourish in the teeth of the digital swarm.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Decline of Eastern Christianity Under Islam (Bat Ye’or)

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 10:32:46 -0500

An exhaustive historical study of how Islam dealt with subjugated peoples in the areas it conquered. And of why Europe should be treated as lost, but not to Islam.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Announcement: Discussion between Prof. Edward Dutton (aka The Jolly Heretic) and Charles

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:09:15 -0500

Today’s announcement is my discussion with Professor Edward Dutton, aka The Jolly Heretic! Professor Dutton is an expert on evolutionary biology and related matters, which we mention in the context of civilizational collapse, but that is not our main focus here. Rather, we talk primarily about whether the future is the High Middle Ages with rockets, what our American present is like, the revival of religion, why Orthodoxy is based, and societal enforcement of virtue. And I make a specific prediction of when America will break up.

You can find the discussion here in video: https://odysee.com/@JollyHeretic:d/Charles-Haywood-Joins-Us-to-Discuss-Whether-Utopia-is-the-High-Middle-Ages-Plus-Rockets:2

You can find Prof. Dutton’s YT channel here (although this video, and his many other fascinating interview videos, can only be found on his Odyssee channel or his Bitchute channel). (Also, I encourage donations to Prof. Dutton; as always, you should support your friends with deeds, not merely words.)

We strongly encourage, in these days of censorship and deplatforming, all readers to bookmark The Worthy House's main site (https://www.theworthyhouse.com). You can also subscribe for email notifications. The Worthy House does not solicit donations or other support, or have ads.

Stalin’s War: A New History of World War II (Sean McMeekin)

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:34:13 -0400

Sean McMeekin's Stalin-centric history of World War II, in which Stalin is very bad, but the real villain is Franklin Roosevelt and the philo-Communists (and actual Communists) who surrounded him. With, as always, lessons for today.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Announcement: Podcast Discussion between Peter R. Quiñones and Charles

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 14:16:14 -0400

I am continuing my new practice of making “Announcements,” appearing on my main site, theworthyhouse.com, available across all platforms, through brief audio clips that are distributed in the same manner as long-form writings.

Today’s announcement is the release of a discussion between Peter R. Quiñones, host of the Free Man Beyond the Wall podcast, and myself. We talk about the fracture of America, putting one’s boot on the neck of the Left, why hedge fund operators are inferior to glass factory workers, and much more.

You can find the podcast here:

Audio: https://freemanbeyondthewall.libsyn.com/episode-651

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xh4ZEVJqHM

The White King: Charles I, Traitor, Murderer, Martyr (Leanda de Lisle)

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 09:51:19 -0400

A fresh analysis of Charles I, an unjustly-maligned king whose reign offers lessons for today. (This article was first published October 17, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/10/17/the-white-king-charles-i-traitor-murderer-martyr-leanda-de-lisle/

Industrial Society and Its Future (Theodore John Kaczynski)

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 06:54:24 -0400

This famous manifesto, by a man who total rejects technological-industrial society, is a challenge to techno-optimists such as I am—and thus a challenge to Foundationalism. I discuss that here, but regardless, it turns out that Kaczynski was very right about many things in our future.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Guns of John Moses Browning: The Remarkable Story of the Inventor Whose Firearms Changed the World (Nathan Gorenstein)

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 09:13:33 -0400

Of the most famous firearms inventor of all time, and of the workings of genius.

The written version of this review can be found here.

On the Future Ascent of a Caesar

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 09:33:07 -0400

Is talk of Caesarism merely right-wing cope? No, and I tell you why.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Forest Passage (Ernst Jünger)

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 11:05:01 -0400

This is one of my favorite reviews, of a book that is extremely important today. Jünger foresaw both our present moment, and what should be done. You should read this book, and also its companion Eumeswil (and my interpretations of both). (This article was first published October 13, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/10/13/the-forest-passage-ernst-junger/

Dictatorship (Carl Schmitt)

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 09:42:18 -0400

A timely work from 1921, analyzing in detail the history and jurisprudential basis of, and for, dictatorship in the context of modern Western societies.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Announcement: Podcast Discussion between Alex Kaschuta and Charles

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 13:57:11 -0400

As I discuss in the audio, I am beginning to regularly announce on audio platforms opportunities to view appearances of me, that is to say, Worthy House content, that occurs on the platforms of others. For example, I may have appeared on another podcast, or written an article in a magazine—both of which have happened recently, in fact.

So—are you looking for doomer optimism? Look no further. Now available across all platforms is my discussion with Alex Kaschuta, host of The Subversive Podcast. We talk about regime fragility, what is to come, Space, and how good our future can be!

You can find the podcast here:

Audio: https://anchor.fm/aksubversive/episodes/Charles-Haywood---Post-Liberal-Doomer-Optimism-e17lnge

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV9tI5jDiuw

And you can, and should, subscribe to Kaschuta’s Patreon, where you will get early releases and other bonuses. Supporting those on the Right is of crucial importance! You should put your money where your mouth is.

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us. . . . (Michael Pollan)

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 09:33:26 -0400

No politics today. Rather, of psychedelic drugs, with particular emphasis on whether they reveal hidden knowledge and their relationship to religion. (This article was first published October 12, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/10/12/how-to-change-your-mind-what-the-new-science-of-psychedelics-teaches-us-michael-pollan-dup-dup/

Life at the Bottom: The Worldview That Makes the Underclass (Theodore Dalrymple)

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 08:48:53 -0400

A classic work on the underclass, which I use to define my program for distinguishing between the deserving and the undeserving poor, and treating each with justice. Plus, a variety of thoughts on modern Great Britain, none complimentary. (This article was first published September 29, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/09/29/life-bottom-worldview-makes-underclass-theodore-dalrymple/

The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy (Christopher Lasch)

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 08:41:58 -0400

A much-discussed, yet somewhat overrated, book from a quarter century ago. Nothing in our society has gotten better since then, but as it is said, past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Political Romanticism (Carl Schmitt)

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 20:43:30 -0400

As Carl Schmitt comes back into fashion, I am reading all his works. This is his very first, from 1919, an excoriation of those who prioritize aesthetics over politics, and who refuse to make decisions when decisions are necessary.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Demon In Democracy (Ryszard Legutko)

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 21:18:09 -0400

This is the book that explains everything that matters at this moment. You must read it. Although I wrote this nearly five years ago, it has not aged a day, and remains, I think, one of my most useful articles. (This article was first published January 19, 2017.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2017/01/19/book-review-the-demon-in-democracy-ryszard-legutko/

The Bear: History of a Fallen King (Michel Pastoureau)

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 09:40:05 -0400

My thoughts on political symbology, in particular that of Foundationalism, through the prism of this erudite book on European bears and their cultural history.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom (James Burnham)

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 08:32:08 -0400

James Burnham's classic work on power in politics. Perhaps too gnostic, but nonetheless with much insight into today, particularly with respect to "democratic totalitarianism," on full display in the present moment.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France’s Most Daring Anti-Nazi Commando (Paul Kix)

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 09:50:53 -0400

Of masculinity, and the masculine virtues, and their loss in the modern age. (This article was first published September 27, 2018.)

The written, original version of this article can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/09/27/book-review-saboteur-aristocrat-became-frances-daring-anti-nazi-commando-paul-kix/

The Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War (Michael Seidman)

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 09:07:43 -0400

An analysis of how economic competence and success drove the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War, accompanied, as always, by my own thoughts on what that means for us today.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Russian Revolution: A New History (Sean McMeekin)

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 14:20:31 -0400

An examination of lessons to be learned from the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, a time of ferment resembling ours, including the crucial lesson that great change is always a step function, not gradual. (This review was first published September 23, 2018.)

The written, original version of this review can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/09/23/book-review-russian-revolution-new-history-sean-mcmeekin/

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs (Camilla Townsend)

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 09:12:08 -0400

It's always interesting to learn about the past, although we should not overrate the importance of justly-defeated peoples such as the Aztecs. But what is the limiting principle of moving mankind forward?

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (Gustave Le Bon)

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 09:04:32 -0400

Why are the vast majority of Western reactions to the Wuhan Plague irrational? This classic work helps us understand.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Freedom (Sebastian Junger)

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 09:14:06 -0400

What is freedom? Not in the philosophical sense; that's boring and done to death. Rather, what is freedom as something that emerges from lived reality, and how does it relate to human flourishing? Through the lens of Sebastian Junger's "Freedom," a modest book only modestly successful.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Where Death and Glory Meet: Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry (Russell Duncan)

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 08:20:26 -0400

Of Robert Gould Shaw, a man who was once the embodiment of heroism, and of what heroism means, and should mean, today.

The written version of this review can be found here.

On Revolution (Hannah Arendt)

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 08:06:37 -0400

Hannah Arendt's semi-worthwhile thoughts on revolution, mostly superseded or proven wrong in the fifty years since, and written in an opaque and annoying style. (This review was first published September 13, 2018.)

The written, original version of this review can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/09/13/book-review-revolution-hannah-arendt/.

The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy (Carl Schmitt)

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 08:23:08 -0400

The dense-but-very-worthwhile thoughts of Carl Schmitt, preeminent political philosopher, on democracy, parliamentarianism, liberalism, and much more, all with notable application for us today.

The written version of this review can be found here.

The Foundationalist Manifesto: The Politics of Future Past

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 09:30:24 -0400

Our future, if we have the will to grasp it, in a nutshell.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Announcement: Podcast Discussion between Michael Anton and Charles Haywood

Sat, 12 Jun 2021 11:26:57 -0400

Something different--not a complete Worthy House offering, but a direction to one related to The Worthy House. I am pleased to announce that The Claremont Institute, in the form of The American Mind, a publication of the Institute, has published a Special Edition of its regular podcast. This Special Edition features, and consists of nothing but, a discussion between Michael Anton, author of the crucial books "The Stakes" and "After the Flight 93 Election," and myself. We talk about Straussianism, Augustus, our past, and our future. You can find the podcast here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Go8VDI2_s8&t=2067s

The American Mind: https://americanmind.org/audio/the-american-mind-podcast-special-edition-america-in-decay-hope-or-despair/

What to Do When the Russians Come: A Survivor’s Guide (Robert Conquest)

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 08:43:09 -0400

Of a forgotten book that precisely predicts our current American situation, and is a salutary reminder of the universal behavior of the Left.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Archeofuturism: European Visions of the Post-Catastrophic Age (Guillaume Faye)

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 11:26:34 -0400

The insane, yet weirdly compelling and with flashes of great insight, vision of the late Guillaume Faye, who wrote of combining the past and the future, while erasing the present. (This review was first published September 10, 2018.)

The written, original version of this review can be found here, or at https://theworthyhouse.com/2018/09/10/book-review-archeofuturism-european-visions-post-catastrophic-age-guillaume-faye.

Glass House: The 1% Economy and the Shattering of the All-American Town (Brian Alexander)

Tue, 25 May 2021 09:36:26 -0400

Of the downsides, and a few upsides, of private equity and other financial engineering, viewed through the decline of Lancaster, Ohio, a condensed symbol of much that has gone wrong with America.

The written version of this review can be found here.

Reason and Revelation in the Middle Ages (Etienne Gilson)

Sat, 22 May 2021 08:23:30 -0400

And now for something completely different, an eighty-year-old work about medieval philosophies. (The written version of this review was first published September 8, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

Empires of the Sky: Zeppelins, Airplanes, and Two Men’s Epic Duel to Rule the World (Alexander Rose)

Mon, 10 May 2021 08:45:47 -0400

A story of achievement and accomplishment, gripping in every detail, which highlights how far we have fallen from greatness. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Napoleon: A Life (Andrew Roberts)

Fri, 07 May 2021 09:58:31 -0400

The original Man of Destiny, a possible template for our own future Man of Destiny. (The written version of this review was first published September 7, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

We (Yevgeny Zamyatin)

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 09:04:24 -0400

Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, from 1921, is the original dystopia that spawned all other twentieth-century dystopias portrayed in literature. Despite being the oldest dystopia, it is in some ways the most relevant one for today, more so than the more famous 1984 and Brave New World. Yet its most crucial lesson is almost always ignored. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Ultrasociety: How 10,000 Years of War Made Humans the Greatest Cooperators on Earth (Peter Turchin)

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:00:49 -0400

The prolific Peter Turchin offers another attempt to quantify and mathematize history. It's not bad, and it's fairly interesting, but it's not nearly as successful as his more famous Ages of Discord. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

How Democracy Ends (David Runciman)

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 12:13:53 -0400

From 2018, one of several then-current books about the impending end of democracy; although this one is less through a Trumpian lens, and thus has not dated as badly as others. With bonus references to Skynet as a possible destructor! (The written version of this review was first published August 29, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower’s Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming (Jean-Martin Fortier)

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 08:10:28 -0400

Thoughts on the practical effects and social impact of small-scale agriculture, along with thoughts on large-scale agriculture and fat people. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Coup d’État: A Practical Handbook (Edward N. Luttwak)

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 09:20:07 -0400

From 2018, through the lens of a classic work of applied politics, thoughts on coups (which have not happened, nor did I predict them), and on social media's role in enforcing global rule of the Left (which I did predict, and which has most definitely happened). (The written version of this review was first published August 27, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

I See Satan Fall Like Lightning (René Girard)

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 08:43:45 -0400

René Girard's exposition of the mechanisms of societal violence. Deeply insightful, and with potent lessons for the present moment. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

The Garments of Court and Palace: Machiavelli and the World That He Made (Phillip Bobbitt)

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 08:07:18 -0400

Phillip Bobbitt's interpretation of Machiavelli's world view and attempted synthesis of his works, along with the unlikely use of Machiavelli to claim virtue for the the modern neoliberal, consumerist state. (The written version of this review was first published August 23, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

On the January 2021 Electoral Justice Protest

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 08:23:51 -0400

On one of the seminal events of modern history, the January 6, 2021 Electoral Justice Protest—and of the friend/enemy distinction, and of what flows from it. (The written version of this analysis can be found here.)

The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity (Timothy Ware)

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 14:13:50 -0400

On a classic introductory work on Eastern Orthodoxy, with thoughts on Orthodoxy's relation to the West, especially the Crusades, and to the modern Turks. (The written version of this review was first published August 18, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

The 2020 Commission Report on the North Korean Nuclear Attacks Against the United States (Jeffrey Lewis)

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 07:29:53 -0500

From 2018, but both my core predictions here, that history will return (even if it returned in 2020 as clown show), and that the deplatforming of conservatives from social media was just beginning, have been fully borne out. (The written version of this review was first published August 8, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

The Recovery of Family Life: Exposing the Limits of Modern Ideologies (Scott Yenor)

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 09:39:04 -0500

An examination of the pernicious ideology of feminism, and of what can and should be done to combat it by future rulers. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Dark Emu (Bruce Pascoe)

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 08:51:05 -0500

Of Australia, Australian cultural politics, and the ludicrous racial-religious cult surrounding Australia's first inhabitants. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

From Plato To NATO: The Idea of the West and Its Opponents (David Gress)

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 08:33:20 -0500

A hugely erudite work of historiography, in my thoughts about which I also explain my admiration for Hernán Cortes, man of glory and contradiction, and what is necessary for a restoration of Western achievement. (The written version of this review was first published August 7, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

On the Brawndo Tyranny

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 10:10:34 -0500

A discussion of the tyranny under which we now live, combined with thoughts on what to do about it, primarily through the lens of analyzing the CDC's orders on evictions and masks, along with the proposed Emmett Till Antilynching Act. (The written version of this analysis can be found here.)

Salazar: The Dictator Who Refused to Die (Tom Gallagher)

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 09:35:30 -0500

A detailed analysis of a successful Right authoritarian leader, the largely-forgotten António Salazar, who should not be forgotten. And, of course, my own thoughts, in this case on corporatism as a political system, both in general and as possibly applied to a remade America. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter (Scott Adams)

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 10:47:05 -0500

Although my opinion of Scott Adams has gone up since I wrote this in 2018, due to his firm basis in reality and willingness to stand by it, I didn't like this book, or how Adams portrayed himself in it. (The written version of this review was first published August 5, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

Kissinger: 1923–1968: The Idealist (Niall Ferguson)

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 09:11:56 -0500

A voluminous and magisterial, yet largely boring, historical analysis of a man who is already being forgotten. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

On Equality and Liberty as Ultimate Ends

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 18:28:56 -0500

In which I explain how the Left harmonizes simultaneous demands for both total liberty and total equality, and I also discuss the limitations of even equality of opportunity, as well as of liberty, in a decent post-liberal society. (The written version of this review was first published August 4, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

Boomers: The Men and Women Who Promised Freedom and Delivered Disaster (Helen Andrews)

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 09:29:35 -0500

A lively evisceration of the worst generation in American history. To know the past is to grasp how to change the future. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Always with Honor: The Memoirs of General Wrangel (Pyotr Wrangel)

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 09:43:25 -0500

The memoirs of the most successful and most charismatic of the White generals who fought the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War—both fascinating in their own right, and illuminating for us at our own present moment. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality (Kyriacos C. Markides)

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 10:28:36 -0500

A classic work of spiritual exploration, with thoughts on comparative theology. (The written version of this review was first published July 24, 2018. Written versions are available here.)

The Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny (Daisy Dunn)

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 12:56:15 -0500

Of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, two leading public servants of the early Roman Empire, a society that had a competent ruling class which provided value, unlike ours. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook (Mark Bray)

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 10:08:25 -0500

An analysis of the history and present of Antifa, set within the bigger picture, including comments on the recent Capitol protests. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

The Weapon Shops of Isher (A.E. van Vogt)

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 11:02:50 -0500

Another break from current events, to talk about the political philosophy of weapons, something totally unrelated to the present moment. (The written version of this review was first published February 16, 2017. Written versions are available here.)

The Golden Key (George MacDonald)

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 09:34:24 -0500

Of a transcendent book, aimed at both children and adults. (The written version of this review was first published February 11, 2017. Written versions are available here.)

4th Generation Warfare Handbook (William S. Lind)

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 08:01:52 -0500

A summary of one school of thought about state-against-partisan warfare today. But not really original, and anyway tactical improvements don't help us if our strategic values are all wrong. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Retrotopia (John Michael Greer)

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 09:30:17 -0500

An attempt to show a positive future for America—only partially successful, but nonetheless thought-provoking, especially as regards the benefits of technology. Which way, Western man—traditionalism, or futurism? (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Feminine Mystique (Betty Friedan)

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 10:03:53 -0500

An exploration of what should be the roles of men and women in a well-run society, through an evisceration of a terrible book that was used as the central pillar of an immensely destructive propaganda campaign. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Right-Wing Critics of American Conservatism (George Hawley)

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 09:37:57 -0500

A detailed evaluation of whether the Right should adopt the mirror image of that core Left principle, "no enemies to the left," in the context of George Hawley's outstanding 2015 book. (The written version of this review was first published July 29, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation (Peter Cozzens)

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 09:40:36 -0500

Of that Man of Destiny, the Shawnee Indian war chief Tecumseh. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

On Me

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 09:09:51 -0500

On my very favorite topic of all, myself. (The written version of this review was first published July 23, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Light from the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition (James R. Payton Jr.)

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 10:32:22 -0500

A comparative analysis of Western and Eastern Christian theology, for the benefit of both, though primarily for the benefit of the former. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

On The Finnish Civil War

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 09:43:24 -0500

A complete analysis of the 1918 Finnish Civil War, where the good guys beat the bad guys, so as a result this war is obscure. But it has much to say that is applicable today. (The written version of this analysis can be found here.)

Twelve Who Ruled: The Year of Terror in the French Revolution (R. R. Palmer)

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 09:31:36 -0500

Of the Terror in the French Revolution, and what it says of the modern Left and our politics today. (The written version of this review was first published July 23, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Pastel City (M. John Harrison)

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 09:32:20 -0500

In a fifty-year-old work of science fiction, the Heroic Narrative, presciently adapted in a way that addresses our current age's denial of reality. (The written version of this review was first published July 20, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Fiery Angel: Art, Culture, Sex, Politics, and the Struggle for the Soul of the West (Michael Walsh)

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:10:25 -0500

A winding, but excellent, discussion of the importance of art in fighting against the Left, along with my own thoughts on Space as a crucial element of Western cultural rebirth. (The written version of this review was first published June 29, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All (Michael Shellenberger)

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 07:59:37 -0500

A comprehensive, if not exciting, dismantling of the anti-human ideology of environmental extremists. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It (Angelo M. Codevilla)

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:15:40 -0500

From 2018, but even more applicable today, what can be done in the short term about the corruption wrought by our ruling class. (The written version of this review was first published June 19, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It (Richard V. Reeves)

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:43:01 -0400

A somewhat confused exploration of how the upper-middle class accrues benefits to itself, which I use to explore more important topics, such as America's aristocracy, and how it should be changed. (The written version of this review was first published June 14, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss (David Bentley Hart)

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:57:46 -0400

A turn away from the politics of today, toward eternal things, in thoughts on an outstanding work by David Bentley Hart. (The written version of this review was first published June 13, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society (Brad S. Gregory)

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 09:28:18 -0400

An outstanding analysis of how we got to the undesirable Now, which also contains a great deal of wisdom on how we can achieve a desirable post-liberal society. (The written version of this review was first published June 8, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents (Rod Dreher)

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:39:01 -0400

In which I discuss the good parts, and the inadequate parts, of Rod Dreher's latest—with a particular focus on not being a Beautiful Loser. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Long Shot: The Inside Story of the Kurdish Snipers Who Broke ISIS (Azad Cudi)

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 08:34:10 -0400

An exploration of a ghostwritten work of Communist propaganda designed to swing American support to one side in the Syrian wars. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Neuromancer (William Gibson)

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:04:08 -0400

What a forty-year-old science fiction classic says about our present, and our future. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

A Concise History of Finland (David Kirby)

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 09:03:54 -0400

The fascinating history of a small land with a long history, in preparation for a later piece on the 1918 Finnish Civil War. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics (Salena Zito and Brad Todd)

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 08:33:33 -0400

Just in time for the 2020 elections, thoughts from two years ago about what drove the 2016 elections. (The written version of this review was first published May 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Long Range Shooting Handbook: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Precision Rifle Shooting (Ryan M. Cleckner)

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 08:59:26 -0400

A discussion about the wars to come. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Soul of an Entrepreneur: Work and Life Beyond the Startup Myth (David Sax)

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:38:28 -0400

Today we talk about the "why" of entrepreneurship, which for me has always been money. And why pretending to teach entrepreneurship is stupid. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Outlaws (Ernst von Salomon)

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 08:52:01 -0400

A memoir of political action and violence in 1920s Germany with, as always, lessons for today—most importantly, that it is a myth that the young are Left, and that rapid change is in the nature of unstable, discredited regimes. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Why We Drive: Toward a Philosophy of the Open Road (Matthew B. Crawford)

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 08:16:24 -0400

Matthew B. Crawford is back, with thoughts on automation, embodied cognition, and safetyism. They are very good thoughts. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Koh-i-Noor: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond (William Dalrymple and Anita Anand)

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:21:54 -0400

A book not really about the diamond, but about the superiority of Western culture. (The written version of this review was first published May 19, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Stakes: America at the Point of No Return (Michael Anton)

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 08:42:32 -0400

On the most important book of the year, Michael Anton’s The Stakes, which you should read, right now, to prepare for the immediate future. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

All on Fire: William Lloyd Garrison and the Abolition of Slavery (Henry Mayer)

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 06:38:46 -0400

Of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, a man who challenged the interests of the powerful, and why his successors today are hampered in ways he was not, such that more direct methods are necessary. (The written version of this review was first published April 21, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Why Liberalism Works: How True Liberal Values Produce a Freer, More Equal, Prosperous World for All (Deirdre Nansen McCloskey)

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:01:23 -0400

Not just a review of this book, by choice extremist Deirdre McCloskey, but also an explanation of why I will no longer read or review any modern book by the Left merely in order to disprove it. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy (Dani Rodrik)

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:10:06 -0400

Dani Rodrik's book disappoints, since he is unable to escape the old and tired neoliberal frame, and doesn't even try very hard. (The written version of this review was first published April 21, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire (Roger Crowley)

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 08:45:38 -0400

A thrilling tale of the brief, but spectacular, Portuguese efflorescence between 1490 and 1520, featuring a cast of characters we could use today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Arms of Krupp 1587-1968 (William Manchester)

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 09:15:30 -0400

This is the book that made William Manchester, later the biographer of Churchill, and it is both a book well worth reading, and one that could only have been written when it was, 1968. (The written version of this review was first published April 20, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine (Barry Strauss)

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 07:10:35 -0400

Barry Strauss's latest book doesn't offer anything particularly new, but it does offer food for thought. And I predict our November future! (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work (Matthew B. Crawford)

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 09:42:59 -0400

As the Wuhan Plague has exposed many jobs as substantively valueless, Matthew Crawford's classic work on work, manual labor, and craft has assumed more relevance. (The written version of this review was first published April 17, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic (Mike Duncan)

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:42:49 -0400

As it is said, history does not repeat, but it does echo. This book narrates those echoes, which grow louder every day in 2020 America, in the history of the late Roman Republic. (The written version of this review was first published August 3, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

American Cicero: The Life of Charles Carroll (Bradley J. Birzer)

Sat, 11 Jul 2020 09:59:40 -0400

Of the most aristocratic of the Founding Fathers, a man whose views have been proven right over time. (The written version of this review was first published April 11, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Saxon Savior: The Germanic Transformation of the Gospel in the Ninth-Century Heliand (G. Ronald Murphy)

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 11:40:45 -0400

Back when Christians heeded the command to proselytize, tools for conversion were many and varied. The gospel harmony analyzed in this book was one such, and it offers insights into both their culture, and our culture. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism (Ross Douthat)

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 15:57:31 -0400

In which I excoriate Pope Francis as stupid and Pope Benedict as weak, and call for a wholesale purge within the Roman Catholic Church. (The written version of this review was first published March 30, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Moral Basis of a Backward Society (Edward C. Banfield)

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 08:54:26 -0400

The grossly defective character of a 1950s Italian village is of more relevance to twenty-first-century America than we might like to believe. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter (David Sax)

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 17:18:44 -0400

Of things analog, from vinyl to film to books, and their importance. Good, but somewhat obtuse about the corrosive class implications of a return to analog. (The written version of this review was first published March 28, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Infantry Platoon And Squad ATP 3-21.8 (United States Army)

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 07:52:45 -0400

As violence looms, it is worthwhile to understand what violence means. (The written version of this review was first published March 27, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

When Money Dies: The Nightmare of Deficit Spending, Devaluation, and Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany (Adam Fergusson)

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 07:09:26 -0400

Of the German hyperinflation of 1923, something much better understood now than it was then—but still an event with important lessons for our society today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (Jordan B. Peterson)

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 07:26:05 -0400

Jordan Peterson has been taken off the board, apparently permanently, by himself or by his enemies, but that does not change the essential value of his work. (The written version of this review was first published March 23, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Republics Ancient & Modern, Vol. 2: New Modes & Orders in Early Modern Political Thought (Paul Rahe)

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 08:32:03 -0400

Thoughts on whether the Enlightenment was necessary for the material progress we enjoy today (though perhaps not tomorrow). (The written version of this review was first published March 14, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Against Masks

Thu, 28 May 2020 15:53:52 -0400

An analysis, meant to be a complete evaluation of why we, as a society, should not generally wear face masks in response to the Wuhan Plague. (The written version of this analysis, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

How to Die: An Ancient Guide to the End of Life (Seneca & James S. Romm)

Wed, 27 May 2020 08:51:52 -0400

Relevant in these days of incoherent hysteria about (exaggerated chances of) death, a famous Roman philosopher's reflections on death, collected by an outstanding modern classicist. (The written version of this review was first published March 13, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

SAM: One Robot, a Dozen Engineers, and the Race to Revolutionize the Way We Build (Jonathan Waldman)

Sat, 23 May 2020 09:35:25 -0400

It's a book about bricks, but more importantly, it's a book about automation, something that is grossly oversold to us today. But why is it oversold to us? (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Can It Happen Here? Authoritarianism in America (Cass Sunstein, ed.)

Sat, 16 May 2020 08:06:18 -0400

A detailed evisceration of Left attacks on democracy in Hungary and Poland, along with much discussion of Left attempts to desperately hold on to their power in America. (The written version of this review was first published March 8, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Starship Troopers (Robert Heinlein)

Tue, 12 May 2020 08:58:04 -0400

On limitations of the franchise, and the role of women in the military, through the lens of a famous work of science fiction. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

God Is Not Nice: Rejecting Pop Culture Theology and Discovering the God Worth Living For (Ulrich L. Lehner)

Sat, 09 May 2020 09:14:18 -0400

No politics here, in this examination of what used to be standard Christian theology, now often lost in the sea of liquid modernity. (The written version of this review was first published March 1, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief (Lawrence Wright)

Mon, 04 May 2020 08:53:50 -0400

In which I spend little time on Scientology, and a lot of time on the religious principles of a well-run state and society. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Windfall: How the New Energy Abundance Upends Global Politics and Strengthens America’s Power (Meghan O’Sullivan)

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 20:00:38 -0400

Thoughts from 2018 on energy, a topic in turmoil in the past few weeks—along with analysis of the risible Paris Accords, yet another stupid attempt to hoodwink Americans. (The written version of this review was first published February 27, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Judiciary’s Class War (Glenn Harlan Reynolds)

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:27:40 -0400

Of the Front-Row Kids and the Back-Row Kids, specifically as represented among our ultimate masters, the federal judiciary. (The written version of this review was first published February 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Lord of All the Dead (Javier Cercas)

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 09:57:05 -0400

A modern exploration of the Spanish Civil War through a familial historical lens; a missed opportunity to honestly explore the political rifts in places far from the centers of power. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Lenin: The Man, the Dictator, and the Master of Terror (Victor Sebestyen)

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 09:05:58 -0400

The life of Lenin offers valuable lessons and advice for the Right today. (The written version of this review was first published February 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Mine Were of Trouble (Peter Kemp)

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 07:08:17 -0400

A fascinating memoir by an Englishman who fought for the side that fortunately won in the Spanish Civil War, Franco's Nationalists. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Apple and the Arrow (Mary and Conrad Buff)

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 08:07:35 -0400

Of William Tell, and tyranny, yes, but much more of current events, most of all the crippling feminization of society fully revealed by our societal reaction to the virus. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Edmund Morris)

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:37:28 -0400

In the hysteria that characterizes the current moment, of a man who pushed masculinity as the cure for every problem. A man we could use today, but we are cursed with the leaders we have instead. (The written version of this review was first published February 14, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Decadent Society: How We Became a Victim of Our Own Success (Ross Douthat)

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 09:03:13 -0400

A very recent book that became more relevant overnight—its diagnosis of decadence, and what comes after, is newly relevant in a world changed by the Chinese virus. But Douthat ignores the elephant in the room. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity (Robert Louis Wilken)

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 09:32:43 -0400

A partially successful attempt to compress a thousand years of complex history into a readable text. (The written version of this review was first published February 11, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow’s World (Charles C. Mann)

Sat, 21 Mar 2020 16:47:19 -0400

A complete analysis of the eternal modern Western battle between those who focus on human limits (and who often wish humanity would disappear) and those who view science and technology as handmaidens to man's progress and destiny. (The written version of this review was first published February 9, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently . . . and Why (Richard E. Nisbett)

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 11:55:26 -0400

It is, I think, timely to consider the differences in how the Chinese and the Americans approach the world. It is certainly instructive. (The written version of this review was first published February 7, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Great Society: A New History (Amity Shlaes)

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 10:03:17 -0400

In these times of turmoil, why the 1960s were not just a mistake, but a societal evil, and how we can take advantage of today's circumstances to get back on track. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Middle Ages (Johannes Fried)

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 09:33:40 -0400

A short review, for once, of this excellent work, which discusses how the modern world, in thought and technology, was birthed by Europeans a thousand years ago. (The written version of this review was first published January 27, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Throne of Adulis: Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam (G. W. Bowersock)

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 10:53:58 -0400

Thoughts about obscure conflicts from fourteen hundred years ago, and what they tell us of today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook (Niall Ferguson)

Sat, 07 Mar 2020 11:19:09 -0500

Of Niall Ferguson's excellent 2018 "The Square and the Tower," and of low-trust societies and the effects of technology on our political future. Prescient, from the viewpoint of 2020. (The written version of this review was first published January 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Collapse of Complex Societies (Joseph A. Tainter)

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 12:16:41 -0500

A book with some interesting points, but extremely narrow and deliberately self-blinkered. (The written version of this review was first published January 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Betrayal of American Prosperity: Free Market Delusions, America’s Decline, and How We Must Compete in the Post-Dollar Era (Clyde Prestowitz)

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 08:42:13 -0500

This 2010 book outlines much of today's even-more-pressing debates about whether America should implement an industrial policy. (The written version of this review was first published January 17, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Reflections on the Revolution In Europe: Immigration, Islam, and the West (Christopher Caldwell)

Sat, 22 Feb 2020 10:13:46 -0500

Christopher Caldwell's 2009 book on immigration to Europe is not bad, but it's been overtaken by events, and its analysis isn't subtle enough. (The written version of this review was first published January 15, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Age of Fracture (Daniel T. Rodgers)

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 18:35:08 -0500

This book, winner of the 2012 Bancroft Prize, offers some interesting ideas about ideas, but is primarily interesting for what it misses. (The written version of this review was first published January 12, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Master’s Insights on China, the United States, and the World (Graham Allison)

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 09:10:57 -0500

An exploration of the supposed Grand Master's mostly banal thoughts. Also of multiculturalism, wine aunts, and our own future. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Reckless Mind: Intellectuals in Politics (Mark Lilla)

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 07:20:08 -0500

Mark Lilla's polished examination of philotyrannical intellectuals of the twentieth century. (The written version of this review was first published January 14, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Stasiland: Stories from behind the Berlin Wall (Anna Funder)

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 06:31:40 -0500

Of why those who opposed Communism when it ruled are forgotten or dishonored, while those who supported it paid no price (yet). (The written version of this review was first published January 13, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (Laura Spinney)

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 08:01:39 -0500

A year ago, I offered thoughts on the next pandemic, in particular its possible effects on society and the reaction of the government. This review seems timely now. (The written version of this review was first published November 15, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (Richard Rothstein)

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 07:18:17 -0500

An exploration of twentieth-century government's role in African American segregation and its subsequent ill effects. (The written version of this review was first published August 15, 2017. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Beekeeper’s Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America (Hannah Nordhaus)

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 16:01:37 -0500

Of bees, and today's agriculture, and atrazine, and cheap food. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Accursed Tower: The Fall of Acre and the End of the Crusades (Roger Crowley)

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 08:27:50 -0500

Straight history today, not politics, in the form of Christian (and Muslim) heroism at the final end of the Crusades. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Why Liberalism Failed (Patrick J. Deneen)

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 18:57:32 -0500

Thoughts, from two years ago now, on Patrick Deneen's seminal work, the first major work of post-liberalism in the modern era. (The written version of this review was first published December 19, 2017. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress (Steven Pinker)

Sat, 18 Jan 2020 14:24:40 -0500

My review of @sapinker's "Enlightenment Now." A mixed bag, as usual with Pinker, lurching wildly from Very Good to Very Bad. (The written version of this review was first published February 16, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics is Destroying American Democracy (Jonah Goldberg)

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 11:30:03 -0500

Peerless NeverTrumper Jonah Goldberg instructs us how to view the world. (The written version of this review was first published May 2, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Nemesis: Alcibiades and the Fall of Athens (David Stuttard)

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 14:05:10 -0500

Of Men of Destiny, and of the protean Alcibiades, man of glory and contradiction, and of what his life says to us today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Ages of Discord: A Structural-Demographic Analysis of American History (Peter Turchin)

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 07:19:00 -0500

I am skeptical of the art of predicting the future based on the past, but Peter Turchin offers a compelling theory in this 2016 book—including predicting that 2020 will be a very bad year. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920s (Frederick Lewis Allen)

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 06:47:50 -0500

Thoughts on a misleading and mendacious book that has been used to propagandize generations of schoolchildren. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Value of Everything: Making and Taking in the Global Economy (Mariana Mazzucato)

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 09:54:41 -0500

This book explains a great deal this is otherwise opaque, and shows why the propaganda we are fed about value, GDP and the like, is propaganda, that blinds us to the reality of our economy. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Power of the Powerless (Václav Havel)

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 07:24:20 -0500

Václav Havel's famous essay, born of a specific time and place, resonates decades later in our own proto-totalitarian society. What should be done? Havel tells us. (The written version of this review was first published May 18, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time (Karl Polanyi)

Thu, 26 Dec 2019 08:32:06 -0500

I thought this book was be good; I was wrong. Free market fundamentalism is bad, to be sure, but what Karl Polanyi offers isn't better, and his analysis is dated. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup (John Carreyrou)

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 07:48:23 -0500

John Carreyrou's Bad Blood is unbelievably good. No recap of the book, though: rather thoughts on every on at Theranos behaving badly, including, especially, the lawyers. And my take on why Elizabeth Holmes was able to do what she did. Also why autonomous cars are BS. (The written version of this review was first published September 25, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia (Christina Thompson)

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:56:40 -0500

An examination of a fascinating work on the settlement of Polynesia, with a focus on human accomplishment. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

On Preemptive Apologies by Conservatives

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 14:10:15 -0500

On how conservatives hobble themselves with preemptive apologies that have been conditioned into them by the Left. (The written version of this review was first published September 19, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, can be found here.)

How Democracies Die (Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt)

Sat, 14 Dec 2019 07:57:27 -0500

Just in time to explain the inevitable Left reaction to Boris Johnson's triumph, an analysis of the Left's hatred of actual democracy. (The written version of this review was first published September 25, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

A Time to Die: Monks on the Threshold of Eternal Life (Nicolas Diat)

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 08:22:08 -0500

A turn (mostly) away from current politics, to speak of eternal things. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Bullshit Jobs: A Theory (David Graeber)

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 08:38:53 -0500

The beginnings, through discussion tied to this mediocre book, of an attempt to understand the creation of value in society. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Captive Mind (Czeslaw Milosz)

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 08:56:09 -0500

Yet another classic work that is, unfortunately, just as relevant today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

On the Subjective Mental State of Liberals

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 19:41:54 -0500

Some thoughts on how liberals view the world, derived in part from the New York Times's podcast, “The Argument.” (The written version of this review was first published November 4, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age (Tim Wu)

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 11:01:01 -0500

Read and reviewed Tim Wu's important new book on the effects of, and solutions for, economic concentration. Something both conservatives and liberals can get behind. Up the NeoBrandeisianism! (The written version of this review was first published November 18, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Frederick the Second: Wonder of the World 1194-1250 (Ernst Kantorowicz)

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 09:07:34 -0500

Thoughts on a long-dead king and his early-twentieth-century booster, Ernst Kantorowicz. I include a call for caesaropapist correction of Pope Francis, as well! (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction (Matthew B. Crawford)

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 09:36:06 -0500

A dense, but very worthwhile, set of ruminations not on our age of digital distraction, but on how the Enlightenment destroyed our connection to the real. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century (Walter Scheidel)

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 08:49:59 -0500

The history and inevitability of economic inequality, with thoughts on whether and in what circumstances it's bad, from me, not the author. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Revolt of the Masses (José Ortega y Gasset)

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 09:27:32 -0500

Thoughts on an often-misunderstood book, José Ortega y Gasset's classic The Revolt of the Masses. (The written version of this review was first published March 24, 2018. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life (Daymond John)

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 20:08:31 -0500

Thoughts on Daymond John's excellent "Rise And Grind," and on how you can be rich like me. (The written version of this review was first published April 30, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Richard Nixon: The Life (John Farrell)

Sat, 02 Nov 2019 19:26:44 -0400

Reviewed John Farrell's biography of Richard Nixon, which brings the man back to life, and shows us the parallels between him and Donald Trump, or at least between the Left's treatment of both. (The written version of this review was first published April 26, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs (Martin Mosebach)

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 06:44:55 -0400

Thoughts on Martin Mosebach's The 21, exploring the best known, but far from only, Coptic martyrs, whose deaths, of course, are only part of a larger pattern displayed daily. (The written version of this review was first published April 23, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

On Quillette

Mon, 28 Oct 2019 17:18:25 -0400

Thoughts on Quillette, ally in the wars to come. (The written version of this review was first published April 20, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Return of the Strong Gods: Nationalism, Populism, and the Future of the West (R. R. Reno)

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 07:33:02 -0400

Rusty Reno's new book is good enough, but too narrow in its vision, even cramped. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

On Francisco Franco

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 10:38:34 -0400

Francisco Franco's body may have been exhumed by his enemies today, but they cannot destroy his example, of a successful defense against, and total defeat of, the Left. That example deserves to be better known, for it will doubtless prove useful soon (which is why the Left is desperate to suppress the truth about Franco). (The written version of this review was first published April 16, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Alexander the Great: His Life and His Mysterious Death (Anthony Everitt)

Sat, 19 Oct 2019 09:55:13 -0400

This new biography of Alexander not only offers nothing new, despite its breathless title, but tiresomely tries to shoehorn modern concepts into the past. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

From Fire, by Water: My Journey to the Catholic Faith (Sohrab Ahmari)

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 19:35:48 -0400

Reviewed Sohrab Ahmari's compelling memoir, "From Fire, by Water," which has less to say about Islam than about the defects of the modern world. Highly recommended. (The written version of this review was first published April 14, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The New Philistines (Sohrab Ahmari)

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 10:02:23 -0400

An exploration of art in society, and just as importantly, of the arc of thought both of Sohrab Ahmari and of post-liberalism. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past (David Reich)

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 18:51:44 -0400

Reviewed David Reich's "Who We Are and How We Got Here," in which the author threads the needle on controversial topics. (The written version of this review was first published April 11, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Life in a Medieval City (Frances Gies and Joseph Gies)

Sun, 06 Oct 2019 14:39:06 -0400

Reviewed the Gies's "Life in a Medieval City," which shows, roughly, that oppression theories are myths, and life in the thirteenth century wasn't, when boiled down, all that different from now. (The written version of this review was first published April 10, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (Eric Hoffer)

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 07:53:07 -0400

Reviewed Eric Hoffer's famous "The True Believer." It does not deserve to be famous. (The written version of this review was first published April 8, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

After the Flight 93 Election: The Vote that Saved America and What We Still Have to Lose (Michael Anton)

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 18:15:02 -0400

Reviewed, with thoughts, Michael Anton's excellent set of "Flight 93" essays. He pulls his punches a bit, I think, but a more concise explanation of our current problems would be hard to find. (The written version of this review was first published April 7, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives (Mark Miodownik)

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 17:46:43 -0400

Read Mark Miodownik's's very good Liquid Rules. Mostly what I have to say is about flight attendants and Islam, which are both obviously connected to the subject matter of this book. (The written version of this review was first published April 5, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Bronze Age Mindset (Bronze Age Pervert)

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 09:00:43 -0400

Thoughts on “Bronze Age Mindset” by the pseudonymous Bronze Age Pervert. Clever and subversive; more than meets the eye. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition (Jonathan Tepper)

Sat, 21 Sep 2019 11:16:06 -0400

Reviewed Jonathan Tepper's nicely done entry in the pro-competition genre, (The written version of this review was first published February 27, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Samurai (Shūsaku Endō)

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 07:34:00 -0400

A change of pace, from modern politics to seventeenth-century Japan, and to eternal, rather than transitory, things. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

A World Split Apart: Commencement Address Delivered at Harvard University, June 8, 1978 (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn)

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 13:11:17 -0400

We talk about the eerie prescience of, and current application of, this classic jeremiad from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, prophet of his age. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon (Crystal Zevon)

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 12:21:20 -0400

An oral history of the ultra-talented Warren Zevon, warts and all.

The written version of this review can be found here.

After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (Alasdair MacIntyre)

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 12:45:54 -0400

Thoughts on a dense classic. (The written version of this review was first published February 23, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Memoirs of St. Peter: A New Translation of the Gospel According to Mark (Michael Pakaluk)

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 19:01:57 -0400

A turn away from current events, to long-ago events, still relevant today. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s (William I. Hitchcock)

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 15:44:42 -0400

Reviewed William I. Hitchcock's "The Age of Eisenhower." Short version of the review: Eisenhower OK but defective; 1950s good; Baby Boomers bad. (The written version of this review was first published February 16, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Singapore: Unlikely Power (John Curtis Perry)

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 08:55:07 -0400

I wanted to learn about Singapore, where limited democracy works. But I didn't learn much from this book. (The written version of this review was first published February 13, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

The Improbable Wendell Willkie: The Businessman Who Saved the Republican Party and His Country, and Conceived a New World Order (David Levering Lewis)

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 08:32:01 -0400

Some thoughts, mostly grouchy, on the habit of Republicans to betray. Not a new phenomenon, as this book shows. But a fatal one. (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline (Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson)

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 19:16:14 -0400

This book is earnest and valuable, but completely inadequate and gap-filled. (The written version of this review was first published February 12, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

A Humane Economy: The Social Framework of the Free Market (Wilhelm Röpke)

Sat, 31 Aug 2019 21:10:28 -0400

Wilhelm Röpke's 1960 "A Humane Economy" offered prescriptions for combining free markets with necessary limits. Valuable thoughts in today's flux. (The written version of this review was first published February 3, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

A History of Venice (John Julius Norwich)

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 05:30:00 -0400

Why Venice, interesting of itself, has much to say to us today. (The written version of this review was first published January 31, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

Making Dystopia: The Strange Rise and Survival of Architectural Barbarism (James Stevens Curl)

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 08:28:09 -0400

For a century, we have been subjected to ugly architecture. How did we get here, and what can be done about it? (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

The Fourth Turning: What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous with Destiny (William Strauss and Neil Howe)

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 07:50:17 -0400

Steve Bannon loves this book. I don't. (The written version of this review was first published January 22, 2019. Written versions, in web and PDF formats, are available here.)

On the “Dark Enlightenment,” and of Curtis Yarvin / Mencius Moldbug

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 05:20:00 -0400

My generally negative take on the lines of thought that fall under the umbrella of the "Dark Enlightenment." (The written version of this review was first published June 27, 2018. Written versions, in web, PDF and ebook formats, are available here. The web version also contains extensive comments, including responses from me.)

American Genesis: A Century of Invention and Technological Enthusiasm (Thomas P. Hughes)

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 10:55:56 -0400

This thirty-year-old book talks of a century of American technological progress that ended twenty years before it was published. What does that century of technological grandeur tell us about today? (The written version of this review, in web, PDF, and ebook formats, can be found here.)

Eumeswil (Ernst Jünger)

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 05:40:00 -0400

This classic book, by the protean Ernst Jünger, is often taken to be a libertarian manifesto. That is entirely wrong. (The written version of this review was first published January 21, 2019. Written versions, in web, PDF and ebook formats, are available here.)

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity (James Fitzjames Stephen)

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 11:17:59 -0400

Today we offer thoughts about a contemporaneous attack on the "harm principle" of that avatar of Enlightenment and progressive thought, John Stuart Mill. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

On Battlefield V

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 06:43:17 -0400

A complete analysis of the controversy surrounding the computer game Battlefield V. (The written version of this review was first posted January 16, 2019.)

The Language of the Third Reich (Victor Klemperer)

Sun, 11 Aug 2019 05:57:43 -0400

This book, Victor Klemperer's book "The Language of the Third Reich," appears to have been taken as instruction manual by a particular group today. (The written version of this review was first published January 11, 2019.)

Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography (Robert Irwin)

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 08:26:56 -0400

A pause from the concerns of today, to discuss a famous polymath of yesterday. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Invisible Planets (Hannu Rajaniemi)

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 08:13:44 -0400

Thoughts on, and comparisons to, a bleak vision of the human future, that is not meant to be bleak. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

The Thirty-Year Genocide: Turkey’s Destruction of Its Christian Minorities, 1894–1924 (Benny Morris and Dror Ze’evi)

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 08:38:55 -0400

Discussion of an exhaustive analysis how the Turks exterminated the country's entire Christian population, an unpleasant topic that nonetheless deserves attention. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Orbánland: How I Came To Understand Viktor Orbán’s Hungary And The Future Of Europe (Lasse Skytt)

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 07:38:00 -0400

A discussion of a Danish journalist's even-handed look at Hungary today, where we focus less on the usual range of views about Viktor Orbán, and more on the questions of Gypsies and Russia. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

48 Hours (William Fortschen)

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 06:41:00 -0400

Here we talk about how our government would really act in an existential crisis. Hint: not well. (The written version of this review was first posted January 10, 2019.)

The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics (Michael Malice)

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 14:36:23 -0400

Discussion of an anarchist's view of a section of the fringe Right—not the fringe worth talking about, unfortunately. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America (Chris Arnade)

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 08:52:45 -0400

Today we talk about an important book, cutting across political lines in America, though one that falls a bit short in making necessary distinctions. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Conformity: The Power of Social Influences (Cass R. Sunstein)

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 08:21:09 -0400

Everyone talks about conformity; Cass Sunstein tries to break it down and offers useful tools for examining the mechanisms of conformity, when it is good, and when it is bad. He even succeeds, in part. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

West Like Lightning: The Brief, Legendary Ride of the Pony Express (Jim DeFelice)

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 07:17:00 -0400

Something a bit more personal, since I had a relative who rode for the Pony Express, a brief, but (formerly) iconic episode in American history. (The written version of this was originally posted January 9, 2019).

On Space

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 09:51:24 -0400

Thoughts on Space—of itself, of false myths, and of it as a pillar of Foundationalism. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Laughing Shall I Die: Lives and Deaths of the Great Vikings (Tom Shippey)

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 13:05:28 -0400

Today we talk about Vikings, real Vikings, with an emphasis on history but, as usual, some thoughts on today. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

The Social Media Upheaval (Glenn Harlan Reynolds)

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 16:49:49 -0400

A more-or-less complete set of thoughts on what should be done with respect to social media, both in regard to nonpartisan problems created by social media platforms, and with regard to the suppression of conservative speech by the Lords of Tech. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Unmasking the Administrative State: The Crisis of American Politics in the Twenty-First Century (John Marini)

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 08:52:40 -0400

Thoughts, for Independence Day no less, on how the government by elitist bureaucracy we have today conflicts with the vision of the Founders and with natural right, and what my political program, Foundationalism, will offer instead. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

On Communitarianism

Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:54:56 -0400

Today we offer not a book review, but an analysis, of communitarianism—a perennial political idea that has recently received fresh attention. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Christ the Conqueror of Hell: The Descent into Hades from an Orthodox Perspective (Hilarion Alfeyev)

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 05:00:00 -0400

Stepping away from the hurly-burly of current events, today we talk about a core, yet obscure, Christian doctrine. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Theory of the Partisan: Intermediate Commentary on the Concept of the Political (Carl Schmitt)

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 05:00:00 -0400

A throwback today, that is not really a throwback. Thoughts from, and thoughts about, Carl Schmitt, reality-based master of the philosophy of enmity, in his book Theory of the Partisan. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future (Andrew Yang)

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 05:30:00 -0400

Our thoughts on the manifesto offered by Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who offers a mix of insane fantasy and moderately interesting ideas. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Built: The Hidden Stories Behind our Structures (Roma Agrawal)

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 06:10:02 -0400

Structural engineering, and what it produces, is fascinating, though Built, by Roma Agrawal, is marred by ideological distortions. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Escaping the Russian Bear: An Estonian Girl's Memoir of Loss and Survival During World War II (Kristina von Rosenvinge)

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 06:47:07 -0400

Too often we forget, or are made to forget, the evils of Communism. Here, we discuss a memoir that acts as a corrective, Escaping the Russian Bear, by Kristina von Rosenvinge. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Hired: Undercover in Low-Wage Britain (James Bloodworth)

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 09:06:20 -0400

Today we offer thoughts on the working class, in Britain and America, through the lens of Hired, by James Bloodworth. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Roman Warfare (Adrian Goldsworthy)

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 08:52:55 -0400

Today's selection is Roman Warfare, by Adrian Goldsworthy. Our focus is straight history, not so much lessons to be learned, but as always, we comment on both the book and its implications. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Yuval Noah Harari)

Mon, 27 May 2019 07:50:00 -0400

Today we review, and as always comment on matters related to, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. For web and PDF versions, go here.

Craeft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts (Alexander Langlands)

Sun, 26 May 2019 17:57:00 -0400

Today we review, and as always comment on matters related to, Craeft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts, by Alexander Langlands. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

A Short History of Man: Progress and Decline (Hans-Hermann Hoppe)

Sat, 25 May 2019 13:25:00 -0400

Today we review, and as always comment on matters related to, A Short History of Man: Progress and Decline, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe. (The written version of this review can be found here.)

Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain (Brian A. Catlos)

Fri, 24 May 2019 13:14:00 -0400

Today we review, and as always comment on matters related to, Kingdoms of Faith, by Brian A. Catlos. (The written version of this review can be found here.)